Kuala lumpur: Bursa Malaysia's benchmark index ended a five-day losing streak on Tuesday, closing higher with gains fueled by banking heavyweights, oil and gas counters, and renewed buying interest in selected consumer retail stocks. This positive shift occurred despite weaker performances across the region.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) surged 11.74 points, or 0.69 percent, to close at 1,711.95, recovering from Monday's close of 1,700.21. The index opened at 1,704.23, marking the day's low, and reached an intraday high of 1,715.93 by late afternoon.
The overall market breadth was slightly negative, with 608 decliners surpassing 564 gainers. There were 516 counters unchanged, 936 untraded, and 22 suspended. Turnover decreased to 3.31 billion units valued at RM3.67 billion, down from Monday's 3.90 billion units valued at RM3.91 billion.
Mohd Sedek Jantan, director of investment strategy and country economist at IPPFA Sdn Bhd, noted a constructive development in market flows, with foreign investors turning net buyers with inflows of RM271 million. This marked one of the highest daily net purchases in 2026.
'This indicates that foreign interest in Malaysian equities remains despite external uncertainties, potentially pointing to selective accumulation at attractive valuations. The recovery seems to carry a structural dimension rather than being sentiment-driven,' Sedek told Bernama.
Regionally, the FBM KLCI outperformed most major Asian indices, many of which remained under pressure from sustained losses linked to the widening Middle East conflict. Despite external risks, earnings resilience and returning foreign participation offer a firmer base for near-term stabilization.
In the region, Singapore's Straits Times Index rose by 0.53 percent to 4,916.65, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell by 1.12 percent to 25,768.08. Japan's Nikkei 225 decreased by 3.06 percent to 56,279.05, and South Korea's KOSPI dropped by 7.24 percent to 5,791.91.
Among Bursa Malaysia's heavyweights, Maybank increased by 12 sen to RM11.84, Public Bank gained four sen to RM4.89, CIMB advanced by eight sen to RM8.02, and TNB climbed by 10 sen to RM14.38. Meanwhile, Hong Leong Bank remained flat, and SD Guthrie declined by four sen.
Most active stocks included Bumi Armada, which rose by three sen, and Velesto, which increased by 1.5 sen. SP Setia remained flat, while Capital A and GDB saw declines.
Top gainers were led by Nestle, which rose by 60 sen, and Hong Leong Financial Group, which gained 30 sen. Meanwhile, Malaysian Pacific Industries and Panasonic Manufacturing were among the top losers.
On the index board, several indices saw gains, including the FBM Emas Index and the FBMT 100 Index. The Financial Services Index and Energy Index also reported increases, while the Plantation Index saw a decline.
The Main Market volume decreased to 2.16 billion units valued at RM3.43 billion, with consumer products, industrial products, and energy being the most traded sectors. Warrants turnover also saw a decline, as did the ACE Market volume.